Apparatus and method for dispensing user-specified fixed volumes of liquids

ABSTRACT

Fixed-volumes of liquid are measured and dispensed from a container by empirically determining the liquid surface height and opening a dispensing valve for a time period that is calculated using a volume of liquid specified to be dispensed and the empirically-determined liquid surface height. The liquid surface height in the container is determined empirically for initial and subsequent volumes of liquid that are dispensed. Dispensing accuracy is maintained whether the container is full or nearly empty.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/885,650filed Sep. 20, 2010, entitled Dispenser for Liquids.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a liquid dispenser. More particularly, thisinvention relates to a dispenser for dairy products, which can dispensesmall, fixed-volumes of liquid from a bag, tank or basin, or othercontainer and, continue to accurately deliver specified amounts as theliquid in the container is depleted.

BACKGROUND

Many restaurants and food service providers provide coffee and otherbeverages into which a small volume of creamer or other liquid is added.The prior art dispensers for such liquids open a valve for a time periodthat is determined using an initial level of the liquid in thecontainer. As liquid is dispensed over time, the level of the liquid inthe tank drops of course, lowering the static pressure at the valve andas a result, reducing the volumetric flow rate from the tank.

Some prior art creamer dispensers are able to dispense different fixedamounts of liquid by actuating one or more push button switches on thefront panel of the device. The switches send a signal to a computer orother controller, which opens an electrically-actuated dispensing valvefor a time period that is supposed to allow the volume of liquid thatwas requested by the actuation of a push button to be dispensed from abulk container. Such prior art dispensers require a user to accuratelyfill the container and specify the starting volume to a controller. Thecontroller calculates dispensing valve open times for each dispensingusing the starting or initial liquid level. Prior art devices accountfor the continuously-dropping static pressure by counting the number ofounces that are requested to be dispensed from the container. The numberof ounces that are requested is used to decrement an initial amount ofliquid in the container. The volume dispensing accuracy of prior artdevices thus depends in part on the accuracy of the initial level thatis provided to the controller.

A problem with liquid dispensers that count the number of dispensingactuations, or which decrement a user-specified starting amount in acontainer according to the number of dispensing actuations, is thattheir accuracy depends largely on whether the initial amount of liquidin a container was accurate. If the actual starting level in thecontainer is not what is conveyed to the controller when the containeris first installed, every subsequently dispensed volume will not beequal to the requested amount.

Another problem with prior art dispensers is that dispensing accuracyalmost invariably deteriorates as the level of the liquid in a containerfalls with successive dispenses. Dispensing valves require a finiteamount of time to open and close. Different valves can require slightlydifferent amounts of time to open and close. The amount of liquidactually dispensed rarely matches the amount of liquid that is supposedto be dispensed. Over time, the dispensing error accumulates. As theliquid level in a container approaches zero, the amount of liquid thatis actually dispensed for any specified valve open time period willalmost always be different from what the dispenser counts or think wasdispensed. A liquid dispenser that is able to more accurately dispenseuser-specified volumes without regard to an initial or starting volumeand which can continue to do so as a tank empties would be animprovement over the prior art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dispenser of small volumes of liquids;

FIG. 2 is a partial cut-a-way of the dispenser shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the dispenser shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an isolated view of a load cell supporting part of a containerin the dispenser shown in FIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 5 is a graph depicting plots of different polynomial functions thatmodel experimentally-determined valve open times as a function of liquidlevel and a user-requested volume, for the dispenser shown in FIGS. 13;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a containerfor holding liquids to be dispensed and showing a different liquidsensor;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of the container shown in FIG. 6showing a pressure sensor;

FIG. 8 is an end view of an alternate embodiment of the container shownin FIGS. 6 and 7;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the right hand side of a containershowing another embodiment of a liquid sensor;

FIG. 10 is a left side perspective view showing light sources used withanother embodiment of a liquid sensor;

FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view of an optical liquid detector/sensor;

FIG. 12 is a cross sectional view of a light source;

FIG. 13 is a front view of an alternate embodiment of a container andshowing an alternate liquid sensor;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the container shown in FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a cross sectional view of a detector or sensor for use withthe container shown in FIGS. 13 and 14;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a container andanother liquid detector;

FIGS. 17A-17E provide a table of valve open time in seconds as afunction of load cell output in volts; and

FIG. 18 is a plot of a third-order polynomial from which the table inFIGS. 17A-17E was generated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a liquid dispenser apparatus 10 fordispensing specific volumes of liquids. The liquids that can bedispensed have viscosities that vary from about 1 centipoise to about7500 centipoise. The dispensable liquids thus include low viscosityalcohols, water, juices, moderate viscosity liquids like dairy productssuch as milk and cream, and viscous liquids that include oils includingpetroleum products and syrups. The dispensable volumes range fromfractions of a liquid ounce up to volumes measured in gallons. Animportant feature of the apparatus is that unlike prior art dispensers,the apparatus 10 permits an operator to manually dispense any volume ofliquid and immediately thereafter, resume accurately dispensinguser-requested fixed volumes without losing accuracy of the dispensedvolumes.

The apparatus 10 is comprised of a cabinet 15 having a refrigeratedupper compartment 20 and an unrefrigerated lower compartment 25. Thelower compartment 25 encloses refrigeration equipment used to keep theupper compartment cold. Refrigeration equipment is well known andomitted from the figures for clarity.

The lower compartment 25 encloses a control computer 30. The computer 30is preferably embodied as a single-chip microcontroller with on-boardmemory. Such microcontrollers are well known to those of ordinary skillin the art. Many of them have electrical interfaces on themicrocontroller which send and receive electrical signals to and fromother circuitry and devices, not shown but which interface, i.e.,electrically connect, the computer 30 to peripheral devices that includean array of push-button, operator-actuated dispensing control switches35, a dispensing control valve 40 not visible in FIG. 1. In alternateembodiments described below, the computer 30 is coupled to variousdevices described below, which are used to determine the level of theliquid 45 in the tank 50.

The dispensing valve 40 is a pinch valve. The pinch valve 40 pinchesoff, i.e., closes, a flexible dispensing tube that extends from thecontainer 50. The valve is explained more fully below and in theApplicant's co-pending patent application Ser. No. ______, entitledPinch Valve, attorney docket no. 3015.082, the contents of which areincorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

In the preferred embodiment, a user can select a particular volume ofliquid to dispense by actuating one or more push button switches 35affixed to the front panel 55 of the lower compartment 25. Wires 60connect the switches 35 to the computer 30 located in the lowercompartment 25. Switch closures are detected by the computer 30. Eachswitch requests the computer to dispense a different volume. Theparticular volume selected by the various switches is a design choice.In one embodiment, the software in the computer memory is written tointerpret multiple switch closures, whether they are made serially or inparallel, as requests for multiple volumes. By way of example, actuationof a 1-ounce switch informs the computer 30 that one ounce is requestedby a user. Actuation of a 1-ounce switch followed immediately byactuation of a 3-ounce switch, or simultaneously with the 3-ounceswitch, is construed by the computer as a user-request for the deliveryof four ounces.

Switch closures and electrical signals input to the computer 30 from oneor more detectors/sensors described below enable the computer 30 tocalculate a time required to open the dispensing valve 40 to dispense arequested volume. The valve open time is determined using a requestedvolume and a real-time, direct measurement of the liquid in a container50. Except for manually-dispensed volumes, which require an operator tomanually open the pinch valve, the valve open time for each requestedamount of liquid to be dispensed under software control is consideredherein to be determined empirically. An empirical determination isconsidered to be a determination that is made using sensing of theactual amount of liquid in the tank, or the actual level of the liquidin the tank, just before the liquid is actually dispensed. Unlike priorart devices, the valve open time is not determined by counting oraccumulating volumes that have been previously dispensed. The valve opentime required to dispense a particular volume of liquid is determinedempirically prior to each opening of the pinch valve.

FIG. 2 is a partial cut-away view of the left side of the liquiddispensing apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectionalview of the cabinet viewed from the left-hand side 65 of the cabinet 15.FIG. 3 also depicts one embodiment of a container 50 that holds liquidsand which is formed of a rigid plastic. FIG. 4 is an isolated view ofthe apparatus 10 showing in cross section, details of a shelf 70 thatdefines the upper 20 and lower 25 compartments. FIG. 4 shows how thefront end of the container 50 pivots on a fulcrum or ridge 75 thatextends into and out of the plane of the figure and which rises upwardlyfrom the top surface of the shelf 70. FIG. 4 also shows how the back endof the container 50 is supported on one end 80 of a load cell 85 that iscantilevered from an opposite end 90 by a bolt driven into the undersideof the shelf 70.

The front end of the container 50 rests on the fulcrum 75 formed intothe top surface of the shelf 70. The container 50 is thus able to pivotover the fulcrum 75.

The back or rear end of the container 50 rests on an elongated, uprightpost 95 that extends downwardly from the underside of the container 50,through a hole 100 formed in the shelf 70, onto the cantilevered end 80of the load cell 85. Since the fulcrum 75 supports part of thecontainer's weight, only a portion of the container's weight issupported by the fulcrum 75. The rest of the container's weight issupported by the second end 80 of the load cell 85.

The portion of the container's weight that is impressed on the load cell85 causes the load cell 85 to deflect. Load cell deflection changes theelectrical resistance of a Wheatstone bridge circuit 87 that is attachedto the load cell 85. Since the load cell 85 deflection is proportionalto the weight impressed on the load cell by the container 50 and itscontents, the signal “output” from the load cell 85, and which is sentto the computer 30 via the connection wires 105, represents at least afractional amount of liquid in the container 50.

In an alternate embodiment, the entire weight of the container and itscontents is supported by one load cell. In one such alternateembodiment, a load cell is located above the center of mass for thecontainer and its contents. A hook is attached to load end of the loadcell. A liquid container is suspended from the load cell. The entireweight of the container and its contents is thus measured. Otherembodiments use two or more load cells, with each load cell supporting afractional portion of the container. One embodiment uses four load cellsat each corner of the container 50 or at each corner of the cabinet 15.In multiple-load cell embodiments, the outputs of the various load cellsare summed by the computer 30 and provide a fairly accurate measurementof the entire weight of the container and/or cabinet 15.

A hinged door 110 provides access to the interior of the uppercompartment 20 and to the lower compartment 25. In one embodimentdepicted in FIG. 3, the container 50 is a rigid bin or basin, whichholds a flexible bag 115, and which contains the liquid 45 to bedispensed. The bag 115 is formed with an integral liquid dispensing tube120. The dispensing tube 120 extends from the bag 115 through a hole 125in the bottom 130 of the container 50, through a passage 100 formed intothe shelf and through the pinch valve 40. Wires connect the pinch valve40 to the computer 30. Plastic bags containing liquid to be dispensedcan be placed into the container and removed from the container via thedoor 110.

To dispense a fixed volume of liquid, a signal from the computer 30instructs a solenoid controlling the valve 40 to open, i.e., “unpinch,”the tube 120 by actuating the pinch valve to an open position. Openingthe pinch valve allows liquid to run out of the container through thetube. The tube 120 is kept unpinched by the computer 30 for a timeperiod that is only long enough to dispense the volume of liquid thatwas requested by a user at the push button switches 35. When the timerequired to keep the valve open has elapsed, the pinch valve is closed.In a preferred embodiment, the pinch valve is biased by a spring to benormally closed. The signal from the computer 30 to the valve solenoidthus holds the valve 40 open against the spring. Closing the valvesimply requires the valve open signal from the computer to be shut off.

The time that the valve must be held open to dispense a particularvolume of liquid requested by operation of one or more switchesessentially depends on the pressure of the liquid at the valve 40, justbefore the valve is opened. The pressure of the liquid 45 on the valve40 depends on the depth of the liquid 45 above the valve 40. In thefigures, the depth of the liquid 40 above the bottom 130 of thecontainer storing the liquid to be dispensed is denoted by the letter D.A relatively short but nevertheless additional column of liquid existsin the tube that is between the bottom of the container and the pinchvalve 40.

In the preferred embodiment, the depth D of the liquid in the tank orcontainer 50 is determined from a weight measured by the load cell 85.As is well known, a load cell is essentially a strain gauge incombination with a resistive circuit well known to those of ordinaryskill in the electrical arts as a Wheatstone bridge circuit 87. When theload cell deforms in response to an applied force, the electricalcharacteristics of the Wheatstone bridge circuit 87 change. Theelectrical characteristics of the Wheatstone bridge can thus becorrelated to a weight supported by the load cell 85. If the density ofthe liquid is known, and if the geometry of the container is known, thedepth of the liquid in a container can be derived from the weight of thecontainer and contents, or from just the weight of the liquid in thecontainer.

In the preferred embodiment, the time that the valve must be kept opento dispense a user-requested volume of liquid is determined byevaluating a polynomial that effectively correlates a signal obtainedfrom the load cell 85 to the time required to open the valve 40 todispense a requested volume. In the preferred embodiment, the polynomialwas experimentally determined to be of the form:

y=Ax ³ +Bx ² +Cx+K

where A, B and C are coefficients and K is a constant;

-   x is the load cell output signal and-   y is the valve open time, in seconds.

In tests of a prototype liquid dispenser having one end of the container50 supported on a fulcrum 75 and the opposite end supported by a loadcell 85 essentially as shown in FIG. 3 and using a pinch valve asdescribed in the aforementioned co-pending application, the coefficientsrequired to dispense one ounce of liquid from the container weredetermined to be: A=−0.0012, B=0.0207, C=−0.1444 and K=0.89.

FIG. 5 depicts plots of a third-order polynomial for three differentrequested volumes from the prototype described above. Values along the xaxis are different outputs from the load cell, typically a D.C. voltage.The y-axis is the time in seconds required for the valve to be kept openin order to dispense a volume of liquid represented by each curve.

Each curve in FIG. 5 is the plot of a polynomial for a differentrequested volume. The lowest curve is a plot of the polynomial thatdetermines the valve open time for a first volume of liquid. The middlecurve is a plot of the polynomial that determines the valve open timerequired to dispense a second volume of liquid, greater than the firstvolume. The top curve is a plot of the polynomial that determines thevalve open time required to dispense a third volume of liquid, greaterthan the second volume. The three polynomials have differentcoefficients.

The polynomial that models the required valve open time was determinedexperimentally by measuring volumes of liquid dispensed through a pinchvalve when the pinch valve was kept open for a given length of time,with different measured weights of liquid in the container, i.e., withdiffering liquid heights. The polynomial thus works to determine valveopen times required to dispense a volume of liquid from a particulartype of container, namely the one shown in FIGS. 1-3 and having aparticular size, a particular discharge tube, having particularcharacteristics, e.g., length and inside diameter. The polynomial, whichis determined experimentally, correlates a measured weight of thecontainer and liquid to a required valve open time, regardless of thecontainer's shape. Using a different container and/or discharge tuberequires different polynomials and/or constant to be determined,preferably by curve fitting, as was done in the preferred embodiment.

In another alternate embodiment, which avoids computing a polynomial,the computer 30 reads or is otherwise provided with a load cell outputvoltage. The output voltage is used as a pointer into a table, typicallystored in RAM, EEPROM, ROM or other computer memory device, from whichthe computer 30 can read an amount of time required to hold the valveopen. If the load cell outputs a voltage that is not in the table, e.g.,7.02 volts, software in the computer 30 rounds the value up or down, asa design choice, to the closest value in the table.

In FIGS. 17A-17E, the valve open times are listed in the right-handcolumn and are expressed in seconds of time required to hold the valveopen in order to dispense one ounce of liquid. The valve open times inthe right-hand column were determined by evaluating the third orderpolynomial equation shown at the top of FIG. 17A and storing eachresultant valve open time as a table with the corresponding load celloutput vales. Dispensing volumes other than one ounce simply requires acorresponding fraction or multiple of the 1-ounce valve open time to beused.

By way of example, and using FIG. 17A, if the load cell output voltageis 7.2 volts, the valve open time required to dispense one ounce ofliquid from the dispenser 10 is 0.4755 seconds. The time required todispense two ounces would be double the amount of time required todispense one ounce, i.e., about 0.9510 seconds. The time required todispense one-half ounce would be one-half the 0.4755 seconds to dispenseone ounce, i.e., about 0.2377 seconds.

FIG. 18 shows a plot of the polynomial from which the table in FIGS.17A-17E was generated. The load cell output voltage decreases as theliquid in the container decreases. The valve open time, which is thetime required to dispense one ounce of liquid, increases as the loadcell output decreases in response to liquid being depleted from thecontainer. Additional methods and apparatus for determining liquid in atank are described below.

As mentioned above, the depth D of the liquid determines a staticpressure at the valve 40. The static pressure at the valve 40 determinesthe flow rate of the liquid 45 through the valve 40. The flow rate ofthe liquid 45 through the valve 40 determines the time that the valve 40must be held open to dispense a requested volume (or a requested weightof a liquid to be dispensed). The time required to hold the valve opento dispense a particular volume of liquid is therefore dependent on theamount of liquid in a container, prior to opening the valve 40 since theamount of liquid 45 in a particular container inherently determines theliquid's height therein. The experimentally determined polynomialdescribed above is thus considered to be one that correlates an amountof liquid in a container to an amount of time required to hold the valveopen to dispense a requested volume. Evaluating the polynomial thusinherently includes a determination of a depth of the liquid in thecontainer. A valve open time is thus determined empirically, byevaluating the polynomial using for x, the signal output from the loadcell prior to opening the valve and which corresponds to the weightsupported by the load cell 85.

FIG. 4 shows in greater detail, how the load cell 85 is attached to theunderside of the shelf 70 in the preferred embodiment to support atleast part of the weight of the container 50, and how the front of thecontainer 50 rests on a ridge or fulcrum 75. One end 90 of the load cell85 is bolted to the underside of the shelf 70. A space is shown betweenthe load cell 85 and the shelf 70 to illustrate that the load cell 85 isessentially cantilevered at the first end 90.

The second end 80 of the load cell 85 supports a vertical post 95. Thepost 95 extends upwardly from the second end 80 of the load cell 85,through a hole 100 in the shelf 70 and into engagement with the bottomof the container 50. The load cell 85 thus supports at least half theweight of the container 50. As the volume of liquid 45 in the containerdecreases, the force impressed on the load cell 85 will changeaccordingly, as will the output signal from the load cell 85. Each timethat a volume is requested by a user, the instantaneous value of theload cell output signal is read by the computer 30 and used as an inputvalue of x in the polynomial. Evaluation of the polynomial usingappropriate coefficients will yield a value that is the amount of timethat the valve should be held open to dispense the requested volume.

While the preferred embodiment determines the valve open time using aload cell, alternate methods of determining the valve open time are madeby determining the actual height of the liquid 45 in a tank 50 prior toopening the valve. Various ways of detecting the depth of the liquid aredepicted in FIGS. 6-16 and described below. The structures in FIGS. 6-16that determine the depth of the liquid 45 in the tank or container 50are different from each other yet functionally equivalent. Each is adifferent means for determining the depth of a liquid in a container.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that if the weight ofcontainer 50 is known, the weight of the liquid 45 inside the container50 can be determined by a straight-forward subtraction of the containerweight from the gross weight of the container and liquid combined.Knowing the weight of the liquid inside the container enables the volumeof liquid to be determined using the density of the liquid. If thedimensions of the container 50 are known and if the volume inside thecontainer is known, the depth of the liquid 45 inside the container canbe determined from a straight-forward calculation. The depth of theliquid can therefore be determined directly from the signal from theload cell. The load cell implementation is thus an equivalent means fordetermining the depth of the liquid in the container, i.e., the liquidsurface height inside the container.

In FIG. 6, reference numeral 135 identifies a static pressure sensoraffixed to the bottom 130 of the tank 50. The diaphragm of the pressuresensor has one side exposed to the liquid and the other side is either avacuum or atmosphere. In this case, the sensor does not have to beexposed to the outside of the container, i.e., through a hole in thebottom. It is a so called absolute sensor. Those or ordinary skill inthe art will recognize that static pressure exerted on the sensor 135will decrease as the depth D of the liquid 45 decreases. An optionalsight glass 140 enables a user to peer into the tank 50 and inspect thecontents thereof.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the pressure sensor 135 depicted in FIG. 11 isshown connected to the computer 30. Not shown in FIG. 6 are the pinchoff valve 40, the user interface switches 35 and connections between thepinch-off valve 40 and switches 35 and the computer 30. These are notshown in FIG. 6 for clarity.

FIG. 8 depicts an array of photodiodes 145, i.e., diodes that detectlight and which output an electrical signal representative thereof andan array of light emitting diodes 150 on the opposite side of thecontainer 50. The photodiodes 145 are shown in FIG. 9 as being coupledto the right-hand side 155 of the tank 50 and arranged along an inclinedline. The photodiodes 145 are thus considered to be an inclined lineararray, which permits diodes to be vertically closer to each other thanmight be possible if the photodiodes 145 were in a vertical array. Theelevation of each photodiode 145 above the bottom 130 of the tank 50, isof course, known to the computer 30.

In one embodiment, the tank 50 is constructed of either translucent orat least partially-translucent material such as glass or Plexiglas. Thearray of photodiodes 145, which detect ambient light, is attached to oneside of the container as shown in FIG. 9. If the liquid 45 in thecontainer is opaque or at least partially opaque, voltage output fromthe photodiodes below the surface of the liquid, i.e., at elevationsless than the height D of the liquid in the tank, will be zero or nearlyzero. Voltage output from diodes 145 above the liquid's surface, i.e.,at an elevation above the height D, will be greater than zero or atleast greater than the voltage output from diodes below the surface ofthe liquid. The level of the liquid can thus be determined, or at leastestimated, by determining the elevation of the first diode above thebottom 130, having a greater-than-zero or at least greater than otherphotodiodes 145 below the liquid surface.

In another embodiment, the photodiodes 145 detect infrared and/orvisible light emitted from an opposing array of IR or visible-lightemitting diodes (LEDs) 150 arranged on the opposite side of thetranslucent or semi-translucent tank 50 as shown in FIG. 10. If theliquid 45 in the tank 50 is at least partially opaque, photodiodes 145below the top of the surface 160 of the liquid 45 will not detect lightemitted from the LED's 150 and will have zero or near-zero outputvoltages. As with the diodes that detect ambient light, light from theLED's 150 that is detected by one or more of the photodiodes 145 permitsthe liquid height D to be accurately estimated or determined exactly bycomparing the voltages output from all the photodiodes.

FIG. 11 is cross-sectional diagram of one photodiode 145. A lens 160 onthe inside surface of the side wall 170 of the container 50 detectslight incident on the lens 160. A collar 175 provides a liquid-tightseal for the diode 145 so that liquid does not leak passed the wall 170.Small voltages generated by the light 180 that impinges the diode 145cause the diode to generate a small electrical signal which can beamplified and detected as being present or absent by the computer 30.

FIG. 12 depicts the similar structure of a light emitting diode 150,inserted through the side wall 185 of the tank 50, opposite the sidewall 170 holding the photodiodes 145.

FIGS. 13 depicts another structure for determining the depth of liquid45 in the container. FIG. 13 is a front view of the container 50 andshows an array of conductivity or resistance probes 190 configured toextend through the side wall 170 so that the probes 190 “reach” into theinterior of the container 50.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the right-hand side of the tank,showing the conductivity probes 190 to be arranged in an inclined,linear array. As with the photodiodes and LEDs, the inclined array 190permits more probes to be used, with less vertical separation distancebetween them.

FIG. 15 is a top view of one of the probes 190. If a conductive pathwayexists between the two conductors 195 and 200, as will happen when theconductors are submerged in even a partially-conductive liquid like milkor cream, an electrical signal applied to one conductor 195 can bedetected at the adjacent conductor 200. A conductive pathway will existif the depth D inside the tank 50 is high enough for liquid to bebetween the two conductors. Cream has a conductivity greater than 10times greater than air.

FIG. 16 depicts an ultrasonic transducer 205, acoustically coupled to orthrough the bottom 130 of the tank 50. Sound waves emitted from theultrasonic range finder transducer 205 will be reflected at theinterface between the liquid surface 160 and the empty upper portion ofthe tank 50. The time required for an ultrasonic pulse to transit fromthe transducer 205 to the interface and return can be used to directlycalculate the depth d of the liquid in the tank 50. In an alternateembodiment not shown, the ultrasonic transducer 205 can be mounted atthe top of the tank so as to transmit ultrasonic waves downward to thetop 205 of the liquid 45.

Once the liquid level is determined using one or more of the embodimentsshown, a close approximation of the time required to hold the valve opento dispense a requested volume can be directly calculated using awell-known equation inset below. Equation (1) inset below, is anequation to calculate the time required to hold the valve open in orderto dispense a volume of liquid from a tank. The dispensed volume will ofcourse lower the height of the liquid in the tank from an initial heighth₀ to a lesser height denominated as h₂. The valve open time t_(open) isa function of the starting and ending depth of the liquid in the tankand the ratio of the area of the tank to the cross sectional area of thetube through which the liquid discharges.

$\begin{matrix}{t_{open} = {\frac{\sqrt{h_{0}} - \sqrt{h_{2}}}{\sqrt{g/2}}\left( \frac{A_{rank}}{A_{jet}} \right)^{2}}} & {{Eq}.\mspace{14mu} 1}\end{matrix}$

In Equation 1:

-   -   t_(open)=the time required to hold the valve open to dispense a        user-specified volume of liquid from a tank;    -   h₀=the initial or starting level of liquid in the tank before        the valve is opened, measured from the top of the liquid to the        lowest level of the tank, i.e., at the pinch valve;    -   h₂=the final level of liquid in the tank to which the initial        level h₀ drops after the user-specified volume is dispensed;    -   g=the gravitational acceleration constant;    -   A_(tank)=the surface area of the top of the tank;    -   A_(jet)=the cross sectional area of the jet or tube through        which liquid leaves the tank;

Equation (1) is by Yunus A. Cengal and John M. Cibala, FLUID MECHANICS,FUNDAMENTALS AND APPLICATIONS, pp. 179-180, McGraw Hill, HigherEducation, copyright 2006.

The various structures described above can determine an actual depth ofliquid in a container. Knowing the actual depth D of the liquid therebypermits a direct calculation of the valve open time that is required todispense a specific volume of liquid, such as one ounce, two ounces,three ounces, and so forth.

For clarity purposes, opening the dispensing valve 40 is comprised ofthe steps of the computer 30 receiving one or more signals from the userinterface or switches 35 located on the container 15. Those switches 35can be configured under software control to dispense multiple volumes oneach actuation or to dispense volumes that are additive of theparticular switches that are activated. Once a volume of liquid to bedispensed is specified, the liquid surface height is determinedempirically using one or more of the structures and devices describedabove and equivalents thereof. Once the requested volume is known andthe liquid level height is known, the computer 30 calculates the opentime and sends an appropriate signal to the solenoid or an interfacethereof to open the valve and, of course, close the valve at thetermination of the time period.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the method ofdetermining valve open time using equation (1) can be used with any sizecontainer and any size discharge tube. By specifying the surface area ofthe container and the cross sectional area of the discharge tube, thecalculation of valve open time remains a straight forward calculationusing the level of the liquid in the container, which can be empiricallydetermined using one or more of the structures disclosed herein.

The foregoing description is for purposes of illustration only. Those ofordinary skill will recognize that the foregoing methods and apparatus'for the liquid dispenser include measuring and dispensing liquids. Theycan be used to dispense liquids that include water, alcohols, dairyproducts like milk and cream and mixtures thereof as well as oils andsyrups. The foregoing description should therefore not be construed aslimiting the method and/or apparatus to dispensing small volumes ofliquids but is really for purposes of illustration. The true scope ofthe invention is set forth in the appurtenant claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of dispensing a user-specified volume ofliquid from a container, the method comprising: opening a valveconnected to the container to dispense the user-requested volume ofliquid through the valve, the time that the valve is required to be openbeing determined from a sensor capable of determining a level of liquidin the container.
 2. A method of dispensing liquid from a containercoupled to an electrically-controlled dispensing valve, the dispensingvalve operable to control fluid flow from the container, the dispensingmethod comprising the steps of: determining the height of the liquidsurface above the dispensing valve; opening the dispensing valve for atime period, the time period being calculated using: a volume of liquidspecified to be dispensed; and the height of the liquid surface aboutthe dispensing valve; wherein the height of the liquid surface isdetermined for subsequent volumes of liquid to be dispensed.
 3. Themethod of claim 2, wherein opening the dispensing valve includes thesteps of: receiving at a computer that controls the valve, a firstelectrical signal, which specifies a volume of liquid to be dispensed;receiving at the computer, a second electrical signal, from which theliquid surface height can be determined by the computer; evaluating thesecond electrical signal, by the computer, to determine a valve opentime required to dispense the volume of liquid specified by the firstelectrical signal; and sending from the computer, a third electricalsignal, which causes the valve to open, the third electrical signalhaving a duration time corresponding to the valve open time.
 4. Themethod of claim 2, wherein the step of determining the liquid surfaceheight is comprised of: electronically determining a weight of thecontainer containing liquid to be dispensed.
 5. The method of claim 4,wherein the step of electronically determining a weight of the containeris comprised of: evaluating by a computer, an electrical signal outputfrom a load cell configured to provide an electrical signalrepresentative of weight impressed on the load cell.
 6. The method ofclaim 5, further including the step of: evaluating by the computer, afirst equation, which correlates the load cell electrical signal to atime period required to open the valve in order to dispense from thecontainer, a specific volume of liquid.
 7. The method of claim 5,including the step of: evaluating at least a first equation, which isselected from a plurality of equations each of which correlates a loadcell electrical signal to a time period required to open the valve inorder to dispense from the container, a specific volume of liquid,evaluation of the first equation yielding a time period to open thevalve in order to dispense said specific volume.
 8. The method of claim7, wherein the each equation is a polynomial that correlates electricalsignals from a load cell to the time required to dispense acorresponding volume of liquid.
 9. The method of claim 2, wherein themethod includes the step of: dispensing a second volume of liquid fromthe container after a first volume of liquid has been dispensed from thecontainer, the first and second volumes being different from each other.10. The method of claim 9 wherein the first and second volumes areselected from a user interface, operatively coupled to a computer thatcontrols the dispensing valve.
 11. The method of claim 2, wherein thecontainer has a top and a bottom, the distance between the top andbottom define a container height and wherein the step of empiricallydetermining the liquid surface height is comprised of: ultrasonicallymeasuring the distance from the top of the container to the liquidsurface.
 12. The method of claim 2, wherein the container has a top anda bottom, the distance between the top and bottom define a containerheight and wherein the step of empirically determining the liquidsurface height is comprised of: ultrasonically measuring the distancefrom the bottom of the container to the liquid surface, the ultrasonicmeasurement being made ultrasonically through the liquid.
 13. The methodof claim 2, wherein at least part of the container, is at leastpartially light transmissive and the liquid is substantially opaque,wherein the container has a top, a bottom and at least a first side, thefirst side having an array of light detectors attached to the firstside, which are configured to detect light that passes at least part waythrough a light-transmissive part of the container, a plurality of lightdetectors being attached to the first side at different heights abovethe container bottom, each light detector generating a first electricalsignal responsive to the detection of light incident on said lightdetector and generating a second electrical signal responsive to theabsence of light incident on said light detector, the step ofempirically determining the liquid surface height being comprised of:detecting a first electrical signal from a first light detector at afirst height above the container bottom; and detecting a secondelectrical signal from a second light detector located at a secondheight above the container, the second height being closer to thecontainer bottom than the first light detector.
 14. The method of claim2, wherein the container has a top, a bottom and a second side oppositethe first side, the second side having a plurality of light sources,each light source being configured to emit a beam of light toward acorresponding one of the plurality of light detectors, wherein the stepof empirically determining the liquid surface height being furthercomprised of: detecting a first electrical signal from a first lightdetector at a first height above the container bottom, the first lightdetector receiving light from a corresponding first light source; anddetecting a second electrical signal from a second light detectorlocated at a second height above the container, second light detectorbeing positioned to be able to detect light from a corresponding secondlight source, the second height being closer to the container bottomthan the first light detector.
 15. The method of claim 2, wherein thestep of determining the liquid surface height is comprised of the stepsof: measuring pressure in the liquid in the container at a depth in theliquid at the valve.
 16. The method of claim 2, wherein the step ofdetermining the liquid surface height is comprised of: detectingelectrical conductivity of the liquid at a plurality of differentelevations above the bottom of the container.
 17. The method of claim 2,wherein the step of evaluating the second electrical signal by thecomputer to determine a valve open time is comprised of reading a valveopen time from a table, the valve open time being located in the tablefrom the second electrical signal.
 18. An apparatus comprising: anelectrically actuated pinch valve; a computer, operatively coupled to,and controlling operation of the valve; a user interface, operativelycoupled to the computer; a measuring means operatively coupled to thecomputer, the measuring means capable of determining a depth of a liquidin a container.
 19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the container iscomprised of a bag.
 20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the measuringmeans is comprised of: a load cell.
 21. The apparatus of claim 18,wherein the measuring means comprises: a plurality of photodiodes,configured to detect light in a container and to output a first signalupon detection of light energy.
 22. The apparatus of claim 21, whereinthe photodiodes are configured to detect infrared.
 23. The apparatus ofclaim 18, wherein the measuring means is comprised of: a plurality ofphotodiodes on a first side of a container, configured to detect light;and a plurality of light sources on a second side of the container,opposite the first side, each light source on the second side configuredto emit light into at least one corresponding one of the plurality ofphotodiodes on the first side.
 24. The apparatus of claim 23, whereinthe plurality of light sources is comprised of: an infrared emittingdiode.
 25. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the measuring means iscomprised of: an ultrasonic range finder, configured to find theseparation distance between the bottom of a container and the surface ofa liquid.
 26. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the measuring means iscomprised of: an ultrasonic range finder, configured to find theseparation distance between the top of a container and the surface of aliquid.
 27. A method of dispensing a user-specified volume of liquidfrom a container, the container being coupled to a pinch valve that isboth manually operable and computer operable, the method comprising:manually opening the pinch valve to dispense a first volume of liquid;and after the first volume of liquid is dispensed, opening the pinchvalve by a computer to dispense a second, user-requested volume ofliquid, the time that the valve is required to be open to dispense thesecond volume of liquid being determined after the first volume ofliquid is dispensed.
 28. The method of claim 27, wherein the time thatthe valve is required to be open to dispense the second volume of liquidis determined using a load cell.